Scenes From Militarized America: Johnston, Rhode Island Edition

[Anti Federalist]

Scenes From Militarized America: Johnston, Rhode Island Edition

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/radley-balko/scenes-from-militarized-a_1_b_2245537.html?utm_hp_ref=the-agitator

Welcome to Johnston, Rhode Island, population 28,769 (as of 2010). The town hasn't seen a murder since 2004*, and has had all of four since 1999.

But thanks to the Pentagon, Johnston's cops are armed to the teeth.


The town of Johnston has received more than $4.1 million in military equipment over the past two years through a U.S. military surplus program that has supplied its Police Department with 30 M-16 rifles, 12 humvees, and military night-vision equipment, among others tools.



Supporters of the $2.5-billion surplus program see many valuable uses for municipal police departments. Johnston Police Detective Raymond Peters says the program is helping equip a SWAT team capable of becoming a "world-class hostage rescue team."


Terrific! Now all Johnston needs is for someone to take some actual hostages. But until that happens, they always use all this spiffy new equipment on people who grow pot. You know, the sort of people who according to neighbors, "never bother anybody or anything."

Via the Providence Journal, here's the full list of goodies the small police department has procured through the U.S. military:


2 Freightliner tractor-trailers and several other trucks; 30 M-16 rifles and conversion parts to transform them into M-4 weapons; 599 M-16 magazines containing about 18,000 rounds; a sniper targeting calculator; 44 bayonets for ceremonial purposes; 5 generators from M1 tanks; and 23 snow blowers.

The Johnston SWAT team plans to train with its military equipment Saturday in a town park.

(And I wonder what would happen, if a citizen militia gathered and decided to train in the town park? - AF)

At least the snow blowers sound reasonable. I wonder if they come in camouflage.


(*According to data through 2010.)

[tangent4ronpaul]

They are going to have to get more magazines if they want to get through the zombie apocalypse without reloading.

-t

[youngbuck]

Standing army, dressed like it w/ f**kin HUMVEES, in a town with a population under 30,000. This is completely out of control.


http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2012-12-05-JohnstonCity.jpg

[AuH20]

I have similar equipment but they call me a terrorist. ROFL

[AGRP]

I dont see a problem. Its a world class hostage rescue team. Freedom isnt free.


Supporters of the $2.5-billion surplus program see many valuable uses for municipal police departments. Johnston Police Detective Raymond Peters says the program is helping equip a SWAT team capable of becoming a "world-class hostage rescue team."

[Inkblots]

I sure hope the good citizens of Johnston have been practicing "get[ting] down on the ground" whilst simultaneously "put[ting] [their] hands up." It'd be a shame if Lt. Fife had to empty an M16 clip into them just because they can't follow two contradictory sets of police instructions.

[mad cow]

44 Bayonets??? :eek:

[Expatriate]

44 Bayonets??? :eek:

For ceremonial purposes of course. Poor cops have been conducting their ceremonies without bayonets, bless their souls.

[Brian4Liberty]

44 Bayonets??? :eek:

Dogs get shot. Bayonets are for cats.

[JK/SEA]

the dead dog platoon.

[Anti Federalist]

Johnston Police Detective Raymond Peters says the program is helping equip a SWAT team capable of becoming a "world-class hostage rescue team."

And it will be used on all of us.

[AuH20]

And it will be used on all of us.

Don't look at me. I don't want to be "rescued."

[heavenlyboy34]

:eek: There is a reason wise men have long railed against standing armies.

[idiom]

Standing army, dressed like it w/ f**kin HUMVEES, in a town with a population under 30,000. This is completely out of control.


http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2012-12-05-JohnstonCity.jpg

I reckon a town of 30k has overwhelming fire-power versus 30 rifles.

[kcchiefs6465]

I reckon a town of 30k has overwhelming fire-power versus 30 rifles.
And your point is? (Assuming that be true in regards to APCs and the other equipment being sold to PDs) I wish I could get a government subsidized M16 rifle. Hell I'd even pay 100 dollars.

[presence]

44 Bayonets??? :eek:

Whats fucked is not that the military gave them 44 steel bayonets, but that the military is now going to turn around and buy 44 new ones.

[GunnyFreedom]

I sure hope the good citizens of Johnston have been practicing "get[ting] down on the ground" whilst simultaneously "put[ting] [their] hands up." It'd be a shame if Lt. Fife had to empty an M16 clip into them just because they can't follow two contradictory sets of police instructions.

suppressing. pet. peeve..... :p

Clip:

http://mapartsinc.com/products/62211114146_StripperClip.jpg



magazine:

http://images.wikia.com/stalker/images/7/71/M16_magazine.jpg

I know, I know, doesn't seem that important. But it is.

Just wait until you are in combat and scream "I'm OUT! Someone toss me a clip!!" and you get the thing on top and can't find your speedloader. By the time you have 10 rounds stripped off the clip and loaded into your magazine you get a chance to pause and wonder how in the hell a Chinese bayonet ended up sticking through your skull...

;)

[GunnyFreedom]

Whats fucked is not that the military gave them 44 steel bayonets, but that the military is now going to turn around and buy 44 new ones.

Obviously our military needs to not be in combat. That said, I wouldn't send anybody into combat without a bayonet. A bayonet is one helluva powerful thing in the hands of a properly trained warrior, and when the bang-balls run out, that's basically all you got.

[Inkblots]

Just wait until you are in combat and scream "I'm OUT! Someone toss me a clip!!" and you get the thing on top and can't find your speedloader. By the time you have 10 rounds stripped off the clip and loaded into your magazine you get a chance to pause and wonder how in the hell a Chinese bayonet ended up sticking through your skull...


You see, this right here is why I'm not a gun owner. I'll leave the fending off of bayonet-wielding psychopaths to the better trained. :)

[heavenlyboy34]

You see, this right here is why I'm not a gun owner. I'll leave the fending off of bayonet-wielding psychopaths to the better trained. :)
lolz...well, if you learn Chin Na and advanced self defense, there are a lot of ways to deal with the bayonet-weilding psycho. The coolest technique I've seen so far involves grabbing the wrist of the stabbing hand and quickly maneuvering it to stab the attacker in the stomach. :cool: Judo sweeps work well too. :D There are ways to kick the knife out of the hand and such, but those are usually riskier.

[Austrian Econ Disciple]

Natural consequence of standing armies and thus, continuous warfare. Abolish the Pentagon, the DoD, and the Potomac. :p

[GunnyFreedom]

lolz...well, if you learn Chin Na and advanced self defense, there are a lot of ways to deal with the bayonet-weilding psycho. The coolest technique I've seen so far involves grabbing the wrist of the stabbing hand and quickly maneuvering it to stab the attacker in the stomach. :cool: Judo sweeps work well too. :D There are ways to kick the knife out of the hand and such, but those are usually riskier.

Doesn't work on everybody. ;)

source: "Best in platoon" on bayonet. :p

Grab my forward hand and I convert to a horizontal butt stroke to the head. Without bothering to think about it. :D

[heavenlyboy34]

Doesn't work on everybody. ;)

source: "Best in platoon" on bayonet. :p

Grab my forward hand and I convert to a horizontal butt stroke to the head. Without bothering to think about it. :D
Nothing works on everybody. :P That's why ya learn everything there is to know. ;) :D